Swiss chard

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I am running out of room. I have a flat of Swiss chard. They are looking a little rough with the brown from I think leaf miners or aphids. I am getting ready to plant pole beans. I plant 2 rows, and they grow up strings. Do you think Swiss chard would be okay between these rows? They would get a good start before the beans really made shade, and when the beans were done, I could cut down and have the chard for fall. I looked up companion planting and it does say beans, but I am thinking they mean in front, which I guess I could put them in a row facing south and right at the edge of the walkway. Here is what it said about companion and I have no idea how I could with tomatoes unless in front??? -
Companion Plans for Swiss Chard. Both vegetables and flowers will benefit from growing Swiss chard with them. Tomatoes do very well around Swiss chard as do roses. The best plants for the Swiss chard to grow with, however, would be beans, anything in the cabbage family, and onions.
 

digitS'

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I don't know about chard and companions, GWR.

You might check out the thinking on beets also, since chard and beets are fairly closely related. I've read that cabbage goes well with them but have no idea why that would be.

My garden really tends to not be monoculture but it isn't so much that I'm trying to find companions. Rather, it is because I mostly plant things in beds but in rows in the beds. Then, I can plant another row of something else beside them. Succession planting is important, so I'm trying to anticipate when the bed will be cleared and another crop can follow the first, or the first 2 or 3.

Companions? It made sense in what I once read by an academic's thinking and that was that it's usually such that one crop benefits and the other isn't seriously hindered ... That could be really okay if the benefit to one is significant.

Steve
 

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Well, I guess I did not mean companion like being healthy, but making room. I think I can plant closer than I usually do. All I end up with is areas of weeds. Swiss chard would be better than weeds.
 

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I planted tomatoes on a fence today. I was planning to put tomatoes on both sides, but the last time I did that, the sun did not get the north side, so I am going to plant Swiss chard on the other side of the fence.
 

thejenx

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I am running out of room. I have a flat of Swiss chard. They are looking a little rough with the brown from I think leaf miners or aphids. I am getting ready to plant pole beans. I plant 2 rows, and they grow up strings. Do you think Swiss chard would be okay between these rows? They would get a good start before the beans really made shade, and when the beans were done, I could cut down and have the chard for fall. I looked up companion planting and it does say beans, but I am thinking they mean in front, which I guess I could put them in a row facing south and right at the edge of the walkway. Here is what it said about companion and I have no idea how I could with tomatoes unless in front??? -
Companion Plans for Swiss Chard. Both vegetables and flowers will benefit from growing Swiss chard with them. Tomatoes do very well around Swiss chard as do roses. The best plants for the Swiss chard to grow with, however, would be beans, anything in the cabbage family, and onions.
I had some volunteer swiss chard between my pole beans and they did great. I have to say the pole beans did not do great but that was because of the heat and drought we had.
 

flowerbug

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i have done chard in the middle of a bean patch and strawberries all around the edges. the difference was that i planted bush or semi-runner beans which didn't cast much shade directly on the plants.

if you are planting starts already growing i think you'll be ok. chard can get tall enough before the beans will be casting much shade. make sure to leave enough leaves on the chard though to catch enough light.
 

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